I need another
Like a brother
For a cryin' shoulder...
...A petty maze of emptiness,
I've said 'the hell with all the rest'...
...And I can feel my soul
It's bleeding...
~3 Doors Down~
~*~*~
That night, Aragorn had a very hard time getting his mind to quiet down enough to allow himself rest. As lightning flashed and thunder cracked, seeming to shake the house, he tossed and turned; tormented with grief and fearful images of what could be.
The storm had passed when fatigue finally laid its claim on his weary mind. As a result he overslept the next morning and Haldir had long since been gone by the time he finally trudged down the stairs, trying to rid himself of the gritty feeling behind his eyes.
The ranger passed by the kitchens and headed straight for the sunlight winking though the trees outside. He wasn't hungry. Truth be told, he felt absolutely sick and food was the last thing on his mind. The ground squished under his boots as he wandered the muddy grounds...finding himself in the gardens once again.
His steps led him to a pergola that was still somewhat dry after last night's storm. Dropping onto a divan with a sigh, Aragorn stretched out his lanky frame and draped an arm over his eyes, shielding them from the sun's glare. He felt...numb. Like all the confusion and uncertainty had stripped him of emotion. Save perhaps for a lingering icy thread of fear.
"Estel?"
The ranger jerked his arm away in surprise, "Elrohir? What is it?"
"You were not at breakfast..." the elf frowned, worry in his blue gaze. "Is something wrong?"
That one simple question, uttered with quiet brotherly concern, held deep within it a hidden power to make the man break down completely against his own will. Aragorn's face crumpled as every barely suppressed emotion from the past several days that a moment before he had felt completely devoid of came bubbling to the surface and tears sprang into his slate gray eyes before he could stop them. "Oh Elrohir..."
Alarmed, the elf quickly sat down and wrapped his arms around his brother. "Hey...shh...calm down Estel, what is the matter?.. .Estel?"
For a several heart wrenching moments all that the human could do was sob on Elrohir's shoulder. "It...it is Legolas," he finally managed to gasp out between his tears.
"Easy now...just take it easy," the elf soothed.
Aragorn nodded and struggled to compose himself, pulling away from his brother and wiping futilely at his red rimmed eyes.
Elrohir waited patiently till the ranger was at least breathing properly, then sought out his gaze and held it, "Now...what about Legolas?"
Slowly, shakily, Aragorn related the tale to his brother, stopping periodically when his voice hitched. Elrohir was quiet through the retelling, ice blue eyes downcast, but when Aragorn finished he raised them and there was a solid determination in their depths. "We have to tell someone."
Aragorn recoiled in fear and started to protest but Elrohir silenced him. "Estel, listen to me. If you truly want to help Legolas, then this I know for certain...keeping such a thing to ourselves is not the way. Everything I know is telling me we have to approach someone with this. I can speak to father--"
"No!" Panic flooded the young ranger's wide eyes, "He will go to Thranduil! Elrohir, that will only make it worse!"
The elf frowned, considering his brother's words. He sighed, "We will seek Elladan's council." Elrohir fixed the man with an unyielding stare, "Promise me that if he agrees with me, then you and I will go to father together."
Aragorn hesitated, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I just don't want to make things worse." he murmured, the threat of further tears in his hushed voice.
And slender hand gripped his knee and the ranger reluctantly raised his eyes to meet those of his brother, starting when he found tears there.
Elrohir smiled sadly at Aragorn's surprise. "I care for him too, Estel," he assured in a quavering tone of voice, "I want only what is best for Legolas, just as you do."
The two embraced, crying together as only brothers can.
"I promise..." Aragorn whispered.
~*~
TBC...
Like a brother
For a cryin' shoulder...
...A petty maze of emptiness,
I've said 'the hell with all the rest'...
...And I can feel my soul
It's bleeding...
~3 Doors Down~
~*~*~
That night, Aragorn had a very hard time getting his mind to quiet down enough to allow himself rest. As lightning flashed and thunder cracked, seeming to shake the house, he tossed and turned; tormented with grief and fearful images of what could be.
The storm had passed when fatigue finally laid its claim on his weary mind. As a result he overslept the next morning and Haldir had long since been gone by the time he finally trudged down the stairs, trying to rid himself of the gritty feeling behind his eyes.
The ranger passed by the kitchens and headed straight for the sunlight winking though the trees outside. He wasn't hungry. Truth be told, he felt absolutely sick and food was the last thing on his mind. The ground squished under his boots as he wandered the muddy grounds...finding himself in the gardens once again.
His steps led him to a pergola that was still somewhat dry after last night's storm. Dropping onto a divan with a sigh, Aragorn stretched out his lanky frame and draped an arm over his eyes, shielding them from the sun's glare. He felt...numb. Like all the confusion and uncertainty had stripped him of emotion. Save perhaps for a lingering icy thread of fear.
"Estel?"
The ranger jerked his arm away in surprise, "Elrohir? What is it?"
"You were not at breakfast..." the elf frowned, worry in his blue gaze. "Is something wrong?"
That one simple question, uttered with quiet brotherly concern, held deep within it a hidden power to make the man break down completely against his own will. Aragorn's face crumpled as every barely suppressed emotion from the past several days that a moment before he had felt completely devoid of came bubbling to the surface and tears sprang into his slate gray eyes before he could stop them. "Oh Elrohir..."
Alarmed, the elf quickly sat down and wrapped his arms around his brother. "Hey...shh...calm down Estel, what is the matter?.. .Estel?"
For a several heart wrenching moments all that the human could do was sob on Elrohir's shoulder. "It...it is Legolas," he finally managed to gasp out between his tears.
"Easy now...just take it easy," the elf soothed.
Aragorn nodded and struggled to compose himself, pulling away from his brother and wiping futilely at his red rimmed eyes.
Elrohir waited patiently till the ranger was at least breathing properly, then sought out his gaze and held it, "Now...what about Legolas?"
Slowly, shakily, Aragorn related the tale to his brother, stopping periodically when his voice hitched. Elrohir was quiet through the retelling, ice blue eyes downcast, but when Aragorn finished he raised them and there was a solid determination in their depths. "We have to tell someone."
Aragorn recoiled in fear and started to protest but Elrohir silenced him. "Estel, listen to me. If you truly want to help Legolas, then this I know for certain...keeping such a thing to ourselves is not the way. Everything I know is telling me we have to approach someone with this. I can speak to father--"
"No!" Panic flooded the young ranger's wide eyes, "He will go to Thranduil! Elrohir, that will only make it worse!"
The elf frowned, considering his brother's words. He sighed, "We will seek Elladan's council." Elrohir fixed the man with an unyielding stare, "Promise me that if he agrees with me, then you and I will go to father together."
Aragorn hesitated, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I just don't want to make things worse." he murmured, the threat of further tears in his hushed voice.
And slender hand gripped his knee and the ranger reluctantly raised his eyes to meet those of his brother, starting when he found tears there.
Elrohir smiled sadly at Aragorn's surprise. "I care for him too, Estel," he assured in a quavering tone of voice, "I want only what is best for Legolas, just as you do."
The two embraced, crying together as only brothers can.
"I promise..." Aragorn whispered.
~*~
TBC...